| Interview with producer
Asit Modi |
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"Corporatisation has not succeeded in the entertainment sector" |
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| Posted
on 2 October 2002 |
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| In a short span of four years, Asit
Modi has carved a niche for himself as a producer of successful sitcoms. |
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| Modi, who started off as an independent
TV producer with Hum Sab Ek Hain on Sony, went on to produce
Yeh Duniya Hai Rangeen for the same channel. He has recently
come up with Meri Biwi Wonderful, an Indian adaptation of the
hugely successful 1960s series Bewitched. |
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| Meri Biwi Wonderful carries
a novelty factor in that it combines comedy with elements of abracadabra
and the supernatural.In a tete-a-tete with indiantelevision.com correspondent
Amar, Modi comes across as a man who has a lot of passion and love
for his work. Excerpts - |
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How did you start off as
producer?
I have been involved with theatre in almost all capacities since college.
In 1988, it struck me that producing TV software could be a viable
business. After that, I starting learning the nuances of the television
medium and after three years was able to produce my first serial in
Gujarati. In 1995, I co-produced Kabhi Yeh Kabhi Woh for DD
Metro and later co-produced Rajani starring the late Priya
Tendulkar for the same channel. Hum Sab Ek Hain was my first
independent work as producer and it came on air in 1998. |
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Which subjects appeal to
you? You seem to be a sitcom specialist.
(Laughs) No, no. In fact, I would love to do varied subjects. It's
just that after the success of Hum Sab Ek Hain, the channel
started feeling more confident about entrusting comedies to me. But
I would love to work on other genres. |
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"In
the wake of growing competition one needs to be all the more
alert to changing viewer preferences"
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How was 'Meri Biwi Wonderful'
conceived?
Meri Biwi Wonderful, as you know, is based on the popular comedy
Bewitched that was produced by Columbia Tristar in the mid
sixties. The concept was given to me by the channel and I was asked
if the same could be adapted in the Indian context. After working
on the concept, I felt confident that it would indeed succeed with
our viewers. See, it has a big novelty factor in it. For the first
time on Indian TV, a sitcom is laced with magic and the supernatural.
In fact, I am proud to be associated with a Columbia Tristar production
even if it is in an indirect way. |
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Has the recent trend of
dailies made it difficult for producers like you to get good weekly
slots?
Yes, I would feel so. Ideally, comedies work best as weeklies. But
personally I am confident of making a good daily sitcom if I get a
chance. I have, in fact, carefully studied most daily sitcoms to analyse
why most of them have not worked.
I have also acquired the rights of over 1,500 stories written by a
veteran writer Tarak Mehta for Chitralekha. I hope to adapt them into
successful TV serials some day. |
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All your programmes have been on Sony.
Is there any specific reason behind it?
No. In fact, I would love to work with all the channels. It's
just that I have a great rapport with Sony. They have shown tremendous
faith in me and I feel all the more motivated to live up to that faith. |
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Do you find channel EPs overbearing
in their attitude nowadays?
Well, I would say they are more involved in all respects. We need
to understand that in the wake of growing competition one needs to
be all the more alert to changing viewer preferences. There have been
occasions when I have had to re shoot a few scenes but I have taken
it positively. |
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What are your sources of funding?
It's my own money and the revenues from my earlier serials, which
I plough back into the business. |
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Who are your favourite
directors on TV?
B P Singh, Gautam Adhikari and Raju Parsekar are among my favourite
directors. I love thrillers and would love to create a riveting thriller
myself some day. All of B P Singh's work is very crisp and stylishly
shot. The man's passion comes out in all his serials. |
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"As long as a comedy
is able to make people forget their worries and cheer them up,
it's commendable"
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Which are the areas you
are personally involved with as producer?
I'm involved with each and every area. Right from the story to
the casting to the actual execution, I contribute in every possible
way. I produce what I love and leave no stone unturned in ensuring
that my serials conform to the highest quality. For Yeh Duniya
Hai Rangeen, I had created a sprawling housing complex at MBC
studio to give a realistic setting. |
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Don't you have any plans
for Neela Telefilms going corporate?
I do not have a plan as such. See, corporatisation has not been very
successful in the entertainment sector. Because once you make your
production unit a manufacturing factory, your individual involvement
and passion that is so important for a quality product gets diluted.
Of course, I want to expand and take up more serials but I would never
undertake such volumes that I cannot bring out without my whole-hearted
involvement going into it. |
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Of late, do you feel there
has been a surfeit of slapstick on TV?
Well, I have never believed in categorisation of comedies. I only
believe that there is something called good comedy and something called
bad comedy. As long as a comedy is able to make people forget their
worries and cheer them up, it's commendable. |
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Would you have produced
'Raamkhilawaan CM & Family'?
Well, that's a difficult question to answer as it is very hypothetical.
See, even in comedies one has to make sure that there is something
to hook the women audiences. As far as a political satire goes, on
a concept level it runs the risk of alienating the women viewers.
But when I saw a couple of episodes of Raamkhilawaan I found it exciting
overall.
My decision on whether or not to produce a sitcom like Raamkhilawaan
would have depended on several contingent factors. |
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"Once
you understand the writer - his mind, his strengths and weaknesses,
it's becomes relatively easy to get out of him what you are
looking for"
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Who are your favourite
writers?
I have no favourites as such. I believe writing is a tough job and
most writers who are in the business are reasonably good and talented.
It's more a question of striking the right understanding with them,
which happens over a period of time. Moreover, producers who are really
passionate about their stories have their own take on it. I feel once
you understand the writer - his mind, his strengths and weaknesses,
it's becomes relatively easy to get out of him what you are looking
for. |
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Which are the projects you have in
the pipeline?
I have always taken up projects selectively. Right now, I'm working
on two other projects. One is a social drama, while the other is a
thriller. But both of them are at the concept level right now. |
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It must be tough financially
for an individual producer with just one serial on air. Do you have
some other business that keeps you financially stable?
Yeah, but TV is my passion and I'm obsessed with it 24 hours
of the day. The only other business I would like to start some day
is setting up a restaurant because good food is a major weakness for
me. |
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